Recently someone mentioned that there seem to be an unusual number of activities related to WWII.  This year is the 80th anniversary of the surrender of Germany (May 8, 1945) and Japan (September 2, 1945).  Perhaps the is the reason.

I don’t know if there are more commemorations than usual or not.  But it would make sense.  The youngest veterans of active service in WWII are now about 100 years old.  It is estimated that only about .5% of WWII veterans of active service are still alive.  That’s one-half of one per cent.

Virtually every year since 1981, I have recognized the death of my Uncle Frank Bernard at Pearl Harbor on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harb0r, December 7, 1941.  There are numerous references to him and his service searchable on this blog – just enter his name.  I’ve been to Pearl Harbor twice and been to the memorial.

This year I want to recognize another WWII vet, Melvin Simon of Comfrey MN, who died June 18, 2009 at age 85.  Here is his obituary.  I choose him this year because my first holiday greeting this December came from Mavis Simon, his wife.  She and I met only one time, at Melvin’s funeral.  We’re in the group I suspect all of us are part – the once a year touching-base group – still alive out there.  Valued and unexpected contacts.

Melvin, who I knew only through my friend Lynn Elling, was a crewman on the LST 272 in the Pacific Theatre.  Lynn was one of the officers on the same LST.

LST’s (Landing Ship Tank) did a lot of very heavy lifting during the war without much recognition.  LST 272 has a short biography on line.

Here is the photo of the boat at his memorial.

LST 272, undated

I attended the funeral representing Lynn, and read his comments about Melvin, the ship and its crew.  A laugh line was Lynn’s description of the LST by crewmen: “Long, Slow, Target”.  It’s design and function was strictly business – getting troops and materiel to and from battles.

The above mentioned reference indicates that 16.4 million Americans saw active service in WWII.  Melvin Simon was one of them, and Lynn Elling another.  Don’t forget the women, as well.  Everyone paid a price for the defense of our democracy.  Observe a moment of silence in their memory.

Melvin Simon about 20 years old about 1945

(POSTNOTE: Uncle Frank’s cohort at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack is virtually all gone.  Estimates are that there may be about 15 remaining survivors of Dec 7, 1941 as of 2025.

More: Heather Cox Richardson Dec. 6, 2025.)

COMMENTS:

from Mark: Marvin campbell

from Dave:  My Uncle Frank at right, his Dad at left, at Long Beach late June 1941.  Their battleships were at San Pedro , a routine repair station for some of the battleships.  I met my Uncle at Long Beach, probably the same day the photo was taken.  About July 1 the Arizona embarked enroute to Pearl Harbor.

Frank Bernard at right, Long Beach CA late June 1941.  His friend, Max Calvert, at left left, was on another battleship.

from Carlo:  I had a friend, Marie, who was born on Pearl Harbor Day. She died on Bastille Day.